Transcript Fall of Rome

Fall of Rome
Coach Parrish
OMS
Chapter 9, Section 3
Constantine
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Constantine – Emperor of Rome from 312 –
337 AD. He converted to Christianity after a
vision and strongly encouraged the spread of
Christianity. (We discussed Constantine earlier
in the year when we studied chapter 10.)
Constantine
From Good Rule to Bad
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The Roman Empire began its decline in 180 AD
when Marcus Aurelius died and left his son
Commodus in power.
Commodus mistakenly allowed others to help
him run the empire causing many problems. He
failed to recognize the Senate on important
decisions and bribed the army for power.
Commodus
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He was only 18 when he
took power.
This picture is him
dressed up as Hercules.
He often portrayed him
in the Colosseum.
He was assassinated on
December 31, 192 AD.
Weak, Corrupt Rulers
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After Commodus, emperors were often generals
and not politicians. They stole money from the
treasury and used it for themselves.
The Roman economy became weak and the
senate lost power. Between 180 – 284 AD,
Rome had 29 emperors. (Most were
assassinated.)
Mercenary Army
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The Roman army had been reduced from willing
citizens to mercenaries – foreign soldiers who
worked for pay. The mercenaries often
switched sides based on who was paying more.
The mighty Roman soldier was a memory.
Size of Empire
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The size of the empire was so large that it
became harder to defend without a standing
army. Many conquered territories regained their
independence.
Serious Economic Problem
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When Rome stopped conquering new lands,
wealth for the empire was hard to obtain. The
empire raised taxes and people became
unemployed.
Food was scarce so its price went up. The
government had to make more coins, thus
resulting in inflation – economic situation in
which more money circulates, but has less value.
Constantine and Christianity
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After Diocletian retired in 305 AD, a struggle
for powers between generals lasted for 7 years.
The general that finally won was Constantine.
Constantine became the emperor of the western
Roman empire.
Freedom of Religion
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In 313 AD, Constantine and Licinius (Ruler of
the Eastern Roman Empire) declared that the
Roman Empire would have religious freedom in
both the Eastern and Western halves.
Christians could now organize churches and get
land back that had been taken from them.
Christianity was about to become the official
religion of the Roman Empire.
Another Christian Victory
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In 324 AD, Constantine won several battles
against Licinius and gained control of the entire
empire.
This was a victory for the Christians because
Licinius was still torturing Christians in the
Eastern half of the empire.
Constantine saw this as proof that God was
working through him.
Building a Faith
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During his 25 years as emperor, Constantine helped the
Christian religion grow. He helped fund several
churches including St. Peter’s church in Rome.
Constantine also planned and paid for a church in
Jerusalem where it was said that Jesus was crucified,
buried, and risen from the dead.
Today, St. Peter’s Church is home to the Pope in
Vatican City. It is also the site of St. Peter’s tomb.
Church of the Holy Sepulchre:
Aerial View
Church of the Holy Sepulchre:
view inside the rotunda
The place where Jesus is believed to
have been crucified
Place some believe Jesus was
buried…
St. Peters Church:
view from the Tiber River
Interior of St. Peter’s Church
A New Capital
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In 330 AD, Constantine moved the capital of
the Roman empire to Byzantium, which later
was called Constantinople.
With the move, the power of the Roman empire
was clearly in the east.
Invasions and Collapse
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Once Constantine died, invaders came inside the
empire and overwhelmed it. The invaders were
Germanic tribes whom the Romans called
barbarians.
In 410 AD, the Visigoths captured and looted
Rome. The Vandals took Rome in 455 AD.
The last Roman emperor was Romulus
Augustus (He was 14 when he took power.)